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English: 3rd person singular s

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  • K kalberts

    Everyone I know agrees that "Lenovo makes electronic equipment" - it is a singular company, so the 's' should be in place. Now considering Texas Instruments: "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment", because TI is singular company (at least for this discussion), or "Texas Instruments make electronic equipment" because the name is a plural form? I asked my colleauge from London about this. To be sure, I went to my Oregon colleague for a confirmation - but got the opposite answer. So, you native English speakers from all over the world, would you say: Texas Instruments makes, or Texas Instruments make? Could this be a US vs. UK distinction - do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style? To complicate it further: Informally, we often refer to TI as "Texas" only. Is it the "Texas makes electronics" but "Texas Instruments make electronics"? What about companies mostly known by their abbreviation, but the de-abbreviation is plural: IBM make, or makes, computers? - considering that the M is for Machines The good thing is that globally considered, English is such a Babelian language that everything goes, and is for the most part understood whatever variant you choose.

    realJSOPR Offline
    realJSOPR Offline
    realJSOP
    wrote on last edited by
    #15

    Texas Instruments doesn't make anything. They have child laborers in China make their stuff...

    ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
    -----
    You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
    -----
    When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

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    • realJSOPR realJSOP

      Texas Instruments doesn't make anything. They have child laborers in China make their stuff...

      ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
      -----
      You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
      -----
      When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

      G Offline
      G Offline
      GenJerDan
      wrote on last edited by
      #16

      John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:

      Texas Instruments doesn't make anything.

      Because "Texas Instruments don't make. . ." sounds really wrong. Singular entity, except...

      John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:

      They have child laborers in China make their stuff...

      They have child laborers in China make their stuff... :laugh:

      We won't sit down. We won't shut up. We won't go quietly away. YouTube, VidMe and My Mu[sic], Films and Windows Programs, etc. and FB

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      • K kalberts

        Everyone I know agrees that "Lenovo makes electronic equipment" - it is a singular company, so the 's' should be in place. Now considering Texas Instruments: "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment", because TI is singular company (at least for this discussion), or "Texas Instruments make electronic equipment" because the name is a plural form? I asked my colleauge from London about this. To be sure, I went to my Oregon colleague for a confirmation - but got the opposite answer. So, you native English speakers from all over the world, would you say: Texas Instruments makes, or Texas Instruments make? Could this be a US vs. UK distinction - do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style? To complicate it further: Informally, we often refer to TI as "Texas" only. Is it the "Texas makes electronics" but "Texas Instruments make electronics"? What about companies mostly known by their abbreviation, but the de-abbreviation is plural: IBM make, or makes, computers? - considering that the M is for Machines The good thing is that globally considered, English is such a Babelian language that everything goes, and is for the most part understood whatever variant you choose.

        T Offline
        T Offline
        theoldfool
        wrote on last edited by
        #17

        Them thar Texicans at Texas Instruments makez real good instrumentz.

        If you can keep your head while those about you are losing theirs, perhaps you don't understand the situation.

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        • K kalberts

          Everyone I know agrees that "Lenovo makes electronic equipment" - it is a singular company, so the 's' should be in place. Now considering Texas Instruments: "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment", because TI is singular company (at least for this discussion), or "Texas Instruments make electronic equipment" because the name is a plural form? I asked my colleauge from London about this. To be sure, I went to my Oregon colleague for a confirmation - but got the opposite answer. So, you native English speakers from all over the world, would you say: Texas Instruments makes, or Texas Instruments make? Could this be a US vs. UK distinction - do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style? To complicate it further: Informally, we often refer to TI as "Texas" only. Is it the "Texas makes electronics" but "Texas Instruments make electronics"? What about companies mostly known by their abbreviation, but the de-abbreviation is plural: IBM make, or makes, computers? - considering that the M is for Machines The good thing is that globally considered, English is such a Babelian language that everything goes, and is for the most part understood whatever variant you choose.

          D Offline
          D Offline
          DRHuff
          wrote on last edited by
          #18

          Texas Instruments makes...

          Member 7989122 wrote:

          do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style?

          I would colour it American like my neighbours to the south! (Just to confuse the issue. :-\ )

          I'm pretty sure I would not like to live in a world in which I would never be offended. I am absolutely certain I don't want to live in a world in which you would never be offended. Freedom doesn't mean the absence of things you don't like. Dave

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          • K kalberts

            Everyone I know agrees that "Lenovo makes electronic equipment" - it is a singular company, so the 's' should be in place. Now considering Texas Instruments: "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment", because TI is singular company (at least for this discussion), or "Texas Instruments make electronic equipment" because the name is a plural form? I asked my colleauge from London about this. To be sure, I went to my Oregon colleague for a confirmation - but got the opposite answer. So, you native English speakers from all over the world, would you say: Texas Instruments makes, or Texas Instruments make? Could this be a US vs. UK distinction - do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style? To complicate it further: Informally, we often refer to TI as "Texas" only. Is it the "Texas makes electronics" but "Texas Instruments make electronics"? What about companies mostly known by their abbreviation, but the de-abbreviation is plural: IBM make, or makes, computers? - considering that the M is for Machines The good thing is that globally considered, English is such a Babelian language that everything goes, and is for the most part understood whatever variant you choose.

            W Offline
            W Offline
            W Balboos GHB
            wrote on last edited by
            #19

            Most of these types of questions can be answered by a remark made by a German teacher, some (many many) years ago: The only rule in German without any exceptions is that there are no rules in German without exceptions. Apply to English, and that should answer all your questions, past, present, and future.

            Ravings en masse^

            "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

            "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

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            • D DRHuff

              Texas Instruments makes...

              Member 7989122 wrote:

              do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style?

              I would colour it American like my neighbours to the south! (Just to confuse the issue. :-\ )

              I'm pretty sure I would not like to live in a world in which I would never be offended. I am absolutely certain I don't want to live in a world in which you would never be offended. Freedom doesn't mean the absence of things you don't like. Dave

              F Offline
              F Offline
              Forogar
              wrote on last edited by
              #20

              Clearly you speak in the English style, not American colonial, as your correct spelling of "colour" indicates.

              - I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.

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              • F Forogar

                Clearly you speak in the English style, not American colonial, as your correct spelling of "colour" indicates.

                - I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.

                D Offline
                D Offline
                DRHuff
                wrote on last edited by
                #21

                I was hoping somebody would catch that. Neighbour too.

                I'm pretty sure I would not like to live in a world in which I would never be offended. I am absolutely certain I don't want to live in a world in which you would never be offended. Freedom doesn't mean the absence of things you don't like. Dave

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                • D DRHuff

                  I was hoping somebody would catch that. Neighbour too.

                  I'm pretty sure I would not like to live in a world in which I would never be offended. I am absolutely certain I don't want to live in a world in which you would never be offended. Freedom doesn't mean the absence of things you don't like. Dave

                  F Offline
                  F Offline
                  Forogar
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #22

                  I am so used to seeing "neighbour" spelled correctly that I didn't notice it as unusual. The only reason I noticed "colour" was that in C# I am constantly setting up Color objects and calling them "colour" something so I get reminded of the deficient US spelling almost every day!

                  - I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.

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                  • F Forogar

                    I am so used to seeing "neighbour" spelled correctly that I didn't notice it as unusual. The only reason I noticed "colour" was that in C# I am constantly setting up Color objects and calling them "colour" something so I get reminded of the deficient US spelling almost every day!

                    - I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.

                    F Offline
                    F Offline
                    Foothill
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #23

                    I think you mean efficient, not deficient :-\

                    if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); }

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                    • K kalberts

                      Everyone I know agrees that "Lenovo makes electronic equipment" - it is a singular company, so the 's' should be in place. Now considering Texas Instruments: "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment", because TI is singular company (at least for this discussion), or "Texas Instruments make electronic equipment" because the name is a plural form? I asked my colleauge from London about this. To be sure, I went to my Oregon colleague for a confirmation - but got the opposite answer. So, you native English speakers from all over the world, would you say: Texas Instruments makes, or Texas Instruments make? Could this be a US vs. UK distinction - do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style? To complicate it further: Informally, we often refer to TI as "Texas" only. Is it the "Texas makes electronics" but "Texas Instruments make electronics"? What about companies mostly known by their abbreviation, but the de-abbreviation is plural: IBM make, or makes, computers? - considering that the M is for Machines The good thing is that globally considered, English is such a Babelian language that everything goes, and is for the most part understood whatever variant you choose.

                      R Offline
                      R Offline
                      Ravi Bhavnani
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #24

                      Singular, because when you say "Texas Instruments makes...", you really mean "The company 'Texas Instruments' makes...". /ravi

                      My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com

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                      • K kalberts

                        Everyone I know agrees that "Lenovo makes electronic equipment" - it is a singular company, so the 's' should be in place. Now considering Texas Instruments: "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment", because TI is singular company (at least for this discussion), or "Texas Instruments make electronic equipment" because the name is a plural form? I asked my colleauge from London about this. To be sure, I went to my Oregon colleague for a confirmation - but got the opposite answer. So, you native English speakers from all over the world, would you say: Texas Instruments makes, or Texas Instruments make? Could this be a US vs. UK distinction - do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style? To complicate it further: Informally, we often refer to TI as "Texas" only. Is it the "Texas makes electronics" but "Texas Instruments make electronics"? What about companies mostly known by their abbreviation, but the de-abbreviation is plural: IBM make, or makes, computers? - considering that the M is for Machines The good thing is that globally considered, English is such a Babelian language that everything goes, and is for the most part understood whatever variant you choose.

                        K Offline
                        K Offline
                        Kirill Illenseer
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #25

                        I come to rever to companies as "they". That's not only the third-preson plural pronoun, that's also the third-person singular gender-agnostic pronoun. And the second role fits companies rather well. That results in the omission of the S.

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                        • K kalberts

                          Everyone I know agrees that "Lenovo makes electronic equipment" - it is a singular company, so the 's' should be in place. Now considering Texas Instruments: "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment", because TI is singular company (at least for this discussion), or "Texas Instruments make electronic equipment" because the name is a plural form? I asked my colleauge from London about this. To be sure, I went to my Oregon colleague for a confirmation - but got the opposite answer. So, you native English speakers from all over the world, would you say: Texas Instruments makes, or Texas Instruments make? Could this be a US vs. UK distinction - do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style? To complicate it further: Informally, we often refer to TI as "Texas" only. Is it the "Texas makes electronics" but "Texas Instruments make electronics"? What about companies mostly known by their abbreviation, but the de-abbreviation is plural: IBM make, or makes, computers? - considering that the M is for Machines The good thing is that globally considered, English is such a Babelian language that everything goes, and is for the most part understood whatever variant you choose.

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                          J Offline
                          jsc42
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #26

                          I haven't read all of the responses yet, so I apologise if this is a repeat of someone else's response. In America, corporations are plural entities; in the UK they are singular. It does not matter whether their name ends in an 's' or not. So: IBM make electronic equipment in America; but Dyson makes electronic equipment in the UK. Similarly: The US government are based in Washington DC; but the UK government is based in London.

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                          • K kalberts

                            Everyone I know agrees that "Lenovo makes electronic equipment" - it is a singular company, so the 's' should be in place. Now considering Texas Instruments: "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment", because TI is singular company (at least for this discussion), or "Texas Instruments make electronic equipment" because the name is a plural form? I asked my colleauge from London about this. To be sure, I went to my Oregon colleague for a confirmation - but got the opposite answer. So, you native English speakers from all over the world, would you say: Texas Instruments makes, or Texas Instruments make? Could this be a US vs. UK distinction - do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style? To complicate it further: Informally, we often refer to TI as "Texas" only. Is it the "Texas makes electronics" but "Texas Instruments make electronics"? What about companies mostly known by their abbreviation, but the de-abbreviation is plural: IBM make, or makes, computers? - considering that the M is for Machines The good thing is that globally considered, English is such a Babelian language that everything goes, and is for the most part understood whatever variant you choose.

                            D Offline
                            D Offline
                            dougwoodrow
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #27

                            Companies are collective nouns; the simple solution is to always treat them as plural. grammaticality - Are collective nouns always plural, or are certain ones singular? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange[^] BBC World Service | Learning English | Learn it[^]

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                            • P PeejayAdams

                              This is a tricky one because I think the English get it wrong. If we were talking about a cricket match, an Englishman might say "England need another 200 runs" where an Aussie would be more likely to say "England needs another 200 runs." Given that England in this context is a singular entity, the Australian version is logically correct but it sounds wrong to English ears. Ultimately, I guess usage triumphs over rules when it comes to grammar and usage is never going to be standard across the Anglophone world.

                              98.4% of statistics are made up on the spot.

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                              X Offline
                              xiecsuk
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #28

                              We would also, and often do, say "Australia need another 200" runs. In this case "Australia " and "England" are collective nouns, and are therefore plural.

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                              • X xiecsuk

                                We would also, and often do, say "Australia need another 200" runs. In this case "Australia " and "England" are collective nouns, and are therefore plural.

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                                P Offline
                                PeejayAdams
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #29

                                There's a definite difference, though, between the way that English and Aussie commentators phrase it. I'll frequently hear the "Team A needs Z runs" construct from Aussies but English commentators always say "need".

                                98.4% of statistics are made up on the spot.

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                                • P PeejayAdams

                                  There's a definite difference, though, between the way that English and Aussie commentators phrase it. I'll frequently hear the "Team A needs Z runs" construct from Aussies but English commentators always say "need".

                                  98.4% of statistics are made up on the spot.

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                                  X Offline
                                  xiecsuk
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #30

                                  But surely, as we invented the language, we must be right. I keep telling my granddaughters, who live in Melbourne, not to start talking like the Aussies, but to be true to their heritage. It doesn't seem to have worked though.

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                                  • X xiecsuk

                                    But surely, as we invented the language, we must be right. I keep telling my granddaughters, who live in Melbourne, not to start talking like the Aussies, but to be true to their heritage. It doesn't seem to have worked though.

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                                    P Offline
                                    PeejayAdams
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #31

                                    On the whole, I'm a firm advocate of speaking [English as she is spoke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English\_As\_She\_Is\_Spoke) by the English, but I do think that the Aussies have a technical point on this one. "Australia" in this contact collectively refers to a collective group of ball-tamperers and should really be 3rd person singular rather than plural. On the other hand, I think that "The Beatles was fab" would sound rather ridiculous, so maybe the use of the plural should be seen as a triumph of English pragmatism over excessively logical grammar.

                                    98.4% of statistics are made up on the spot.

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                                    • K kalberts

                                      Everyone I know agrees that "Lenovo makes electronic equipment" - it is a singular company, so the 's' should be in place. Now considering Texas Instruments: "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment", because TI is singular company (at least for this discussion), or "Texas Instruments make electronic equipment" because the name is a plural form? I asked my colleauge from London about this. To be sure, I went to my Oregon colleague for a confirmation - but got the opposite answer. So, you native English speakers from all over the world, would you say: Texas Instruments makes, or Texas Instruments make? Could this be a US vs. UK distinction - do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style? To complicate it further: Informally, we often refer to TI as "Texas" only. Is it the "Texas makes electronics" but "Texas Instruments make electronics"? What about companies mostly known by their abbreviation, but the de-abbreviation is plural: IBM make, or makes, computers? - considering that the M is for Machines The good thing is that globally considered, English is such a Babelian language that everything goes, and is for the most part understood whatever variant you choose.

                                      E Offline
                                      E Offline
                                      englebart
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #32

                                      I go with "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment" You can imagine an implied noun of: "Texas Instruments Corporation makes electronic equipment" To consider: "Texas Instruments' child corporations make electronic equipment" How about this one: "Texas' instruments make beautiful music" or would it be "Texas's instruments make beautiful music" ?

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                                      • K kalberts

                                        Everyone I know agrees that "Lenovo makes electronic equipment" - it is a singular company, so the 's' should be in place. Now considering Texas Instruments: "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment", because TI is singular company (at least for this discussion), or "Texas Instruments make electronic equipment" because the name is a plural form? I asked my colleauge from London about this. To be sure, I went to my Oregon colleague for a confirmation - but got the opposite answer. So, you native English speakers from all over the world, would you say: Texas Instruments makes, or Texas Instruments make? Could this be a US vs. UK distinction - do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style? To complicate it further: Informally, we often refer to TI as "Texas" only. Is it the "Texas makes electronics" but "Texas Instruments make electronics"? What about companies mostly known by their abbreviation, but the de-abbreviation is plural: IBM make, or makes, computers? - considering that the M is for Machines The good thing is that globally considered, English is such a Babelian language that everything goes, and is for the most part understood whatever variant you choose.

                                        J Offline
                                        J Offline
                                        Joop Eggen
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #33

                                        Take "Twelve Roses is a nice book" - the name/title of something may be plural, but that does not make the something plural. One should read "The company 'Texas Instruments' makes ..."

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                                        • K kalberts

                                          Everyone I know agrees that "Lenovo makes electronic equipment" - it is a singular company, so the 's' should be in place. Now considering Texas Instruments: "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment", because TI is singular company (at least for this discussion), or "Texas Instruments make electronic equipment" because the name is a plural form? I asked my colleauge from London about this. To be sure, I went to my Oregon colleague for a confirmation - but got the opposite answer. So, you native English speakers from all over the world, would you say: Texas Instruments makes, or Texas Instruments make? Could this be a US vs. UK distinction - do you consider your English belonging to the "British" style, or to the "American" style? To complicate it further: Informally, we often refer to TI as "Texas" only. Is it the "Texas makes electronics" but "Texas Instruments make electronics"? What about companies mostly known by their abbreviation, but the de-abbreviation is plural: IBM make, or makes, computers? - considering that the M is for Machines The good thing is that globally considered, English is such a Babelian language that everything goes, and is for the most part understood whatever variant you choose.

                                          B Offline
                                          B Offline
                                          Bob1000
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #34

                                          If everyone understands what is written (or said) then its correct. That's English. Altough "Texas Instruments makes electronic equipment" sounds a lot smoother to the ears than "Texas Instruments make electronic equipment" which grates on the auditory nerves!

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